Plaid issues ultimatum over UKIP councillor

The Plaid Cymru leader of Ceredigion council has told independent councillors their coalition deal with Plaid will end if a UKIP member remains in their group, the BBC understands.

Ellen ap Gwynn sacked Gethin James from the cabinet for joining UKIP, but he remains part of the Independents group. 

It was councillor James who last year came up with this explaining of how democracy works.

"Sometimes when people vote in planning committee they don't hold their hands up high because they don't want the public at the back to see which way they are voting".

So probably no great loss.

I suppose amy ditching of councillor James  it will depend on how the Independents feel about a Ukip member joining their caucus as it is not unique for this to happen . I believe the Wrexham Independent group on that council includes two Plaid Member.

But in Councillors James' case he joined  UKIP after the coalition was set  up  and Plaid may well have never considered him in their coalition during the negotiations.

So have a case in their demands that he should leave the Independent group or face ending the coalition.


Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood launched a fierce attack on UKIP at her party's spring conference last week. So we may be entering into a war between Plaid and Ukip and it may intensify . worth watching.